The Rise & Fall of the Emerald Tigers - Raghu Chundawat

India now has fewer tigers than when project tigers were first launched in 1973. Where have all the tigers gone?

In this seminal book about the Indian tiger, Raghu Chundawat, a renowned conservation biologist, shares his findings from the only long term ecological research project on tigers undertaken in India till date.

Chundawat closely studied the Panna tigers and their prey, from 1996 to 2006 meticulously recording their space use, movements, feeding and reproductive behaviour- in the dry tropical forests of Madhya Pradesh. With support from the national park management, he oversaw a spectacular revival of Panna’s tiger population.

However, By 2002-03 the fortunes of Panna’s tigers, and chundawat’s research nosedived when the park management changed. Monitoring privileges and access to the park were curtailed and subsequently, poaching and poisoning of tigers spiked. When Chundawat blew the whistle on the alarming decline, he faced immense backlash from the state wildlife authorities. Despite the systemic opposition, Chundawat continued the fight to save Panna’s tigers, collecting data and petitioning the government to intervene.

In this immensely informative work, Chudawat presents not just his research, but also an insider’s account of the politics and administrative apathy plaguing Indian wildlife conservation. He discusses the larger threats to Indian wildlife – and the possible solutions. Filled with stunning photographs, the Rise and fall of the emerald tiger is a must- read for all wildlife enthusiasts and researchers across the world.

About the Author

Ragu Chundawat is a renowned conservation biologist his main focused was snow leopards and tigers. His pioneering ten-year research on the Panna tigers was immortalized in the BBC documentary, Tigers of the Emerald Forest.